BMAC: cell-based treatment with surgeon-level precision.

From your marrow to the problem area — same day

Bone marrow contains a mix of repair-oriented cells, including mesenchymal stromal cells, along with growth factors. For BMAC, a small volume of marrow is drawn from the back of the pelvis under local anesthetic, concentrated in a centrifuge, and injected into the joint or tendon being treated — all in one visit, using your own tissue.

BMAC is often marketed as “stem cell therapy,” and that shorthand oversells it. The honest version: BMAC delivers a concentrated mix of your own cells and signaling proteins that may support healing in the right setting — it does not regrow cartilage, and a reputable surgeon won’t promise that it does. Dr. Bastian will give you a realistic picture of what BMAC can and can’t do for your specific problem.

Where BMAC may help

• Mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis
• Cartilage (osteochondral) lesions in select patients
• Chronic tendinopathies that haven’t responded to other care
• Select partial rotator cuff tears
• Biologic augmentation of surgical repairs
• Slow bone healing, as an adjunct in select cases

What the procedure involves

• Local anesthetic at the back of the pelvis (sedation available for surgical cases)
• Marrow aspiration — typically 10–15 minutes
• Centrifugation to concentrate the cell-rich fraction
• Image-guided injection into the target joint or tissue
• Home the same day
• Soreness at both sites managed for several days

What to expect

Most patients find the aspiration far more manageable than they expected — the area is numbed thoroughly, and the draw itself is brief. You’ll go home the same day with soreness at the aspiration and injection sites for several days. As with PRP, improvement is gradual, building over weeks to months, and you may be asked to limit NSAIDs around the procedure.

BMAC is generally not covered by insurance and is offered with clear cash-pay pricing quoted in writing before you book. Because Dr. Bastian is a surgeon, he can also use BMAC to augment surgical repairs when the biology needs help — and he’ll tell you plainly if you’re better served by another treatment entirely.